Chapter 492

He knew Zhang Guilian's situation—just like an ordinary affluent family, they had a little money but couldn't reach the upper class.

Whether it was Zhang Guilian or the Du family, they bore a grudge against his uncle and wanted to take revenge on him, but no matter what they could not contact any cultivators, let alone obtain the Bewildering God Incense.

He still isn't quite clear on what the bewildering incense does, but he knows that even if it is only a basic magical artifact, it isn't something that can be bought casually with money.

"Someone knows about the conflict between Zhang Guilian and my uncle, has designs on my uncle's position as the Lion Ridge Mountain God, wants to use Zhang Guilian's hand to endanger my uncle's life, so they secretly approached Zhang Guilian and gave her the bewildering incense that could harm my uncle?"

Wang Ping'an's mind filled with myriad guesses; for some reason, Qi Wenshan's figure appeared in his thoughts, and he frowned, saying:

"This matter shouldn't involve Qi Wenshan; if he were the one pulling the strings, why did I, just now as I left the Mountain God Temple, remind everyone so they would know that Zhang Guilian would do something wicked?"

Just.

He had countless reasons to convince himself that this matter wasn't closely tied to Qi Wenshan, yet he recalled Qi Wenshan inexplicably gifting him a magical artifact.

Moreover, it was something linked to deities and spirits, whose true purpose hadn't been clarified; the explanation was strange, making it hard for him not to doubt Qi Wenshan.

"Wait… when Qi Wenshan left, he highlighted that Zhang Guilian, remaining in the Mountain God Temple, would do something wicked, intending to wait for the scheme to succeed, harm my uncle's life, and pin everything on Zhang Guilian!"

A flash of insight briefly flickered in Wang Ping'an's mind, and he said:

"It's just that I don't know his purpose; my uncle shouldn't have offended him, because if he had, my uncle's aunt and the others wouldn't have asked him to come and carve a Mountain God Statue for my uncle!"

Suddenly.

Wang Ping'an's mind again conjured the faces of the Du Family father and son, and another flash of insight flickered; he roughly guessed Qi Wenshan's purpose.

Of course.

All of this is his speculation; before the facts are fully revealed, he doesn't have a hundred percent certainty.

"I actually want to see what means you have to endanger my uncle's life and seize the position of the Lion Ridge Mountain God!"

Wang Ping'an let out a silent, cold laugh, tucked away the bewildering incense, and his mental form returned from the World Pearl; he happened to notice Qi Wenshan's lingering gaze, his eyes wandering over the deity statue in his hand, and he thought curiously:

"I just don't know what this old thing wants to do with this deity statue for me!"

"What's going on!"

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhang Yongde led Zhang Deben's Mountain God Statue back to the Mountain God Temple. Upon entering, he saw the temple filled with incense sticks, each one lit. He forced his anger down, his face flushed with rage, and said:

"Cheng Yong, didn't I tell you? You can only offer incense after your father's Mountain God Statue returns, right? And this first incense stick, should Cheng Ze light it?"

Logically, after Zhang Deben's Mountain God Statue completed its village tour and returned to the Mountain God Temple, the leader should have offered the first incense, but he declined and handed it to Zhang Chengze.

Since the first incense holds great significance, his ability to preside over this deification ceremony for Zhang Deben already gave him a massive advantage; such a favor naturally should be performed by Zhang Deben's direct heir.

Zhang Chengyong smiled awkwardly, unsure how to reply.

Regarding this occasion, before his father's deification ceremony even began, during the preparations, Zhang Yongde had already approached their family, discussing and explaining the entire process in detail, with no superfluous formalities...

After all.

Zhang Family Village is just an ordinary small village; aside from its many inhabitants, it has no other merits, often worries about meals, and finds it hard to cultivate truly scholarly people—at most they know a few characters, and even simple formalities are beyond them. Under Zhang Yongde's detailed explanation, most villagers memorized the simple procedure.

How could he possibly not know that his father's deification ceremony, after the village tour with his father's statue and returning to the Mountain God Temple, only then permits his elder brother to light the first incense, after which incense is offered in turn according to status?

"Zhang Yongde, I lit all these incense sticks; why do you have an objection?"

Zhang Guilian stepped forward, looking contemptuously at the anger‑suppressed Zhang Yongde, feeling an indescribable pleasure deep within, and sneered:

"If you have an objection, you can have someone pull out all these incense sticks!"

She was delighted not because Zhang Yongde was too angry to speak, but because, following the mysterious person's instructions, she had filled her brother's Mountain God Temple with these incense sticks.

It won't be long before her brother regrets; his misdeed—refusing to save the dying—will cause his man and his son to be released from the county office's guard.

No need to work all day in the county town doing dirty, exhausting labor!

"Cheng Yong, I let you properly 'take care' of your second aunt; is this how you take care of her?"

Li Ping stared at Zhang Guilian's haughty demeanor, nearly dying of anger.

Due to her meddling, many steps of her family's De Ben deification ceremony couldn't be performed, but she knows Zhang Guilian's temperament; blaming her could likely result in a chaotic brawl, and at present her family's De Ben deification ceremony is crucial.

This novel you...

Zhang Guilian's matter can be discussed later; now we must not cause a scene and let outsiders mock their family!

Li Ping said seriously, "Village Chief, you let everyone place our family's De Ben Mountain God Statue on the altar; I will have De Ben come out, let him speak a few words to everyone, and after the divine rain baptism ends, our family's De Ben deification ceremony will be considered complete!"

Zhang Yongde nodded, realizing this was the only way to proceed, and as he led the group past Zhang Guilian, he glared fiercely at her.

She's lucky to have a brother like Zhang Deben; if it were someone else, with all the pig‑dog‑like deeds Zhang Guilian commits, not even a lifelong feud—surviving without being killed on the spot would be considered fortunate.

Zhang Guilian ignored Zhang Yongde's gaze; after she gave her brother a severe lesson, her husband and son, with the mysterious person's help, escaped suffering, and she would never return to Zhang Family Village. Zhang Yongde didn't even have the right to step onto her family's doorstep, so why would she care about his resentment?

"De Ben!"

Li Ping and the others placed Zhang Deben's statue on the altar, took a wooden plaque from her pocket that resembled the Mountain God Token by about seventy percent, and called out:

It is her communication tool with Zhang Deben!

The next moment.

A figure emerged from the Mountain God Statue, and it was Zhang Deben.

"De Ben!", "Mountain God Zhang!", "De Ben!"

Upon seeing Zhang Deben appear, everyone in the Mountain God Temple, regardless of whether they knew him or his seniority, all knelt down at that moment.

(End of chapter)